SERVES 2 TO 4 AS A MAIN COURSE, 6 TO 8 AS PART OF A MULTICOURSE MEAL
One night when the steamer was crowded with something else, we popped these shrimp into the oven—a very un-Chinese thing to do—and were delighted with how good they were! The fragrant marinade and shrimp juices dripped down into the vegetables during the baking and made them every bit as delicious as the shrimp. Of course, if you have the steamer space, this dish is also fine steamed.
Threading the prawns on skewers is a nice bit of theater. The skewers are unnecessary but fun, and make turning the shrimp easier.
From start to finish, this dish takes an easy 30 minutes to prepare.
1 pound large fresh shrimp in their shells
MARINADE:
⅓ cup soy sauce
⅓ cup Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
2 teaspoons sugar
¼ cup Ma-La Oil (page 17) or Five-Flavor Oil (page 13)
½ teaspoon dried red chili flakes
2 stalks lemongrass, cut into finger-lengths and smashed
2 scallions, cut into 1-inch nuggets and smashed
5 quarter-size coins fresh ginger, smashed
5 cloves garlic, smashed
VEGETABLES:
1 small, thin daikon, cut into paper-thin rounds, or 2½ cups lightly packed spinach leaves
2 to 3 teaspoons Ma-La Oil or Five-Flavor Oil
1 small carrot, cut into julienne
2½ cups Napa cabbage, cut into ½-inch ribbons, for the vegetable bed
¼ teaspoon Roasted Szechwan Pepper-Salt (page 5)
2 tablespoons finely chopped Chinese chives or thinly sliced green and white scallion rings, for garnish
2 tablespoons finely diced red bell pepper, for garnish
Truly fresh shrimp are an endangered species. Typically frozen on the trawlers when they’re caught and all too often dunked in a bleach solution to preserve them, 90 percent of the shrimp that are sold in our markets do not taste fresh and are without the wonderful texture that is the hallmark of the beast. It is a very sad thing. The politics of the fishing industry and the state of our oceans are such that fishermen will rarely make the commitment to rush a fresh product to the shore and to the market.
Shrimp that has never been frozen or bleached will have no odor. The shell will be attached stubbornly to the flesh and the legs will cling tenaciously to the belly. The shell will have body. If you are purchasing fresh shrimp that are already shelled, the intestinal vein will be elastic and hard to remove. If the head is left on, the eyes will generally be bright and beady.
Should you see shrimp that meet these requirements, buy them and settle in for a great supper.
1. Submerge 10 to 12 6-inch wooden skewers or 6 to 8 8-inch wooden skewers in hot water to cover.
2. Shell the shrimp, leaving the tails on; devein.
3. In a non-aluminum bowl, combine all of the marinade ingredients. Let stand for 5 to 10 minutes to infuse. Add the shrimp and marinate for 10 minutes, tossing occasionally to redistribute the liquids. Drain the marinade from the shrimp; strain and reserve the marinade. Drain the skewers and thread the shrimp, facing them in 1 direction, not jamming them tight, and leaving at least 1 inch free at each end of the skewer. At this point, the shrimp may be sealed and refrigerated, overnight if desired.
4. Blanch the daikon in rapidly boiling water for 10 seconds. Drain and refresh under cold water to stop the cooking, then drain thoroughly. Or blanch the spinach by the same method but for 5 seconds. Drain, refresh, and then press the leaves between your palms to extract the excess water. Fluff the leaves to loosen.
5. Heat a wok or skillet over high heat until hot enough to foam a bead of water. Add 2 teaspoons of the oil, swirl to glaze the pan, and heat until hot enough to sizzle a thread of carrot. Add the carrots and toss until hot, about 45 seconds, adjusting the heat so they crackle without burning. Don’t worry if they brown a bit; they will be flavorful. Add the cabbage ribbons and toss until slightly wilted, about 1 minute, drizzling a bit more oil down the side of the pan, if needed to prevent sticking. Promptly remove the vegetables from the pan, spread on a large plate, and season lightly with the pepper-salt.
Once cool, the vegetables may be sealed and refrigerated overnight. Bring to room temperature before using and drain any water from the spinach or daikon.
6. About 20 minutes before serving, preheat the oven to 375°F. Position a rack in the lower third of the oven.
7. Arrange the vegetables on as many ovenproof serving plates as there are guests or on 1 or 2 large platters. Place the daikon in overlapping rings to cover the plates or spread out the spinach to do the same. Scatter the cabbage and carrot on top, leaving a rim of the daikon or spinach showing. Brush the skewered shrimp on both sides with the reserved marinade and arrange the shrimp over the vegetables. Drizzle 1 tablespoon more marinade over the vegetables. Do not crowd the plates with vegetables or all the vegetables will not heat through in the time it takes to cook the shrimp.
8. Bake the shrimp until glazed and golden on top, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn them over and bake the other side until golden as well, another 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the shrimp quickly or remove the plates to your stovetop while you work to prevent the oven from cooling.
9. Serve the shrimp on their vegetables beds immediately, garnished with the chives or scallions and a colorful sprinkling of the red bell pepper.
MENU SUGGESTIONS: As an entrée, the shrimp go well with simply cooked rice or noodles and Stir-fried Zucchini Ribbons (page 437). As the prelude to a meal, I can think of nothing nicer to follow with than a wild mushroom risotto.